Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra
by Pugz
Summary: Set six months after Ally of Justice Kaibaman. An ancient spirit has awoken from its slumber and is out for revenge - but why has it set its sights on Joey? Puppyshipping & some Chaseshipping.
1. Chapter 1

Whoa! I'm still getting reviews and faves from the first Kaibaman fic; it's amazing, thank you guys so much! I hope everyone had a nice x-mas and new year :D

I wasn't going to do a sequel, I thought the first one was fine the way it was and wrapped up in a nice little bow - then I saw an episode of GX and was inspired! I hope this will be as good as Kaibaman 1.

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><p>Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red-Eyes vs Ra<p>

Chapter One

**Egypt: the year 2000.**

The walls of the old tomb collapsed in a cloud of dust, causing the four men in loose robes to take a step back and cover their faces with their sleeves. The heat from the desert, and the hard work they had done, had caused them to sweat; however, the unnaturally cold tomb chilled them to the core. They each looked to the other before one bravely stepped inside with caution. The tombs were known to be filled with traps, and although this particular one didn't contain mountains of jewels or treasure, one would still tread lightly on the stone floor.

On the far wall, set within stone, sat a gold sceptre; upon it was a small sculpture of the Sun Dragon Ra with its wings extending outwards in a powerful stance. Slowly, the man extended his arm to grab the sceptre, retreating slightly when it glowed for a brief moment, and snatched it from its seat; he waited, expecting the tomb to tremble with anger.

Nothing. He made his way out of the tomb with the same cautiousness until he passed through the entrance where he held his prize to the sun with triumph.

**Domino City: the present.**

The sleek, black bike raced around the oval shaped track with ease; the rider, dressed in full, black leather with a Red-Eyes Black Dragon on his back, leaned smoothly into the turn and righted himself again. Ahead of him, a computer whizzed along a rail; he pulled along side it and pressed the screen in front of him.

"_Duel mode activated. Please stand by."_ The holographic technology activated around the bike. _"Auto Pilot activated."_

A duel disk unfolded from the computer and it drew the first card. "Setting one card face down and one monster in defence mode. Turn terminated."

The rider grinned and drew; his cards sat in a special slot in front of him to keep at least one hand free. "I summon Baby Dragon in attack mode! Now, go, attack the face down!"

The face down revealed to be White Stone of Legend. "Card effect activated. Controller of card is allowed one Blue-Eyes White Dragon from deck," the computer recited.

"That ends my turn."

"Summoning Kaibaman; activating effect: Tribute to summon one Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Activating face down, Ancient Rules; summoning a second Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Attacking Baby Dragon."

The biker swerved slightly, but managed to keep his balance.

"Direct attack with second Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

The White Lightning attack engulfed the rider, the console flickered and the bike veered off to the left, the front wheel hit the banking and the rider was thrown from his seat; he rolled across the grass and settled on his back. The bike skidded across the grass to a stop with the back wheel spinning uselessly to a stop.

A golf cart raced across the grass and the young CEO, Mokuba Kaiba, leapt out to run the rest of the way. "JOEY!" He skidded across the grass on his knees and gently removed the helmet from the rider. "Joey?"

The blonde opened one honey eye and grinned lazily. "Hey Mokuba."

"Don't 'hey' me! That was crazy, are you hurt?" He looked the older boy over; nothing seemed to bending the way it shouldn't.

Joey chuckled and slowly sat up, ignoring Mokuba's orders to lie still. "I'm fine, kid, the suit took the brunt of it." He very slowly looked over his shoulder to look at the bike and then his gaze shifted to the computer. "But the strength of the more powerful monsters needs reducing by at least half; fifty-five percent at the most."

"Um..." Mokuba stared at him for a moment. "Ok Joey..."

The blonde rose to his feet as the medical team approached but he kept his eyes fixed to the computer. It was all a test, he'd stacked the computer's deck in order to test the D-Wheeler's programme against the strength of Blue-Eyes; he hadn't expected to be thrown from the bike, but that's what testing was all about.

"Are you sure that didn't hurt?"

Joey grinned. "I'm a little shaken and I'll be bruised later, but I'm fine. Honest."

The young CEO grinned. "Good. Seto's meeting will be over in fifteen, by then we'll be back at Kaiba Corp."

"Great, I'll take the bike and drop it off with the techs." He lightly shooed the medical team away and made his way to the bike; he didn't need them fussing over him, he was made of tougher stuff. He righted the bike and started it up; giving it an experimental rev to make sure it was ok. The bikes were tough, the paintwork wasn't even scratched.

"Joey!" He turned his head and caught his helmet. Mokuba grinned at him and the blonde flashed him a thumbs up; before he knew it, he was speeding down the freeway towards the centre of the city. He'd quickly grown to love the adrenaline of racing past cars and weaving through the traffic, and in the short six months since they started the project he'd grown to love the bike he was currently riding; it felt like he was flying, just like when he was Lord of Red.

"_Red..."_ A part of him still felt empty after he'd...disappeared? When they had taken on Bakura, the being hinted that he would cease to exist and that was a hard thing for Joey to take; sure, he still had Mokuba and Seto – things were going great with them – and his friends...but...that hole...Red was a part of him and that part of him was missing.

He eased the bike to a stop at the lights and stared at Kaiba Corp. in the distance. Seto had done his best to try to ease the blonde's pain, but it seemed this would be something that could never be healed.

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Seto jabbed the button for the technician's floor with a growl; the Board were nothing more than a group of old men who couldn't spot a great idea when it hit them in the face, they constantly fought him about the D-Wheelers, insisting they were a waste of money and time. Seto had to bite his tongue and simply state that it would all be worth it in the end, and, in the meantime, profit from smaller projects would fund the constant testing.

The doors opened just as the bike pulled into the room with a roar and the small group of eight circled it immediately. The blonde removed his helmet to speak with them clearly, handing it to one of the technicians, and Seto watched him swing his long leg over the bike to get off; his eyes roamed over the leather suit and admired the way Red-Eyes' wings seemed to extend outward dangerously as the blonde stretched.

"About fifty-five, ok?" The blonde's voice snapped him from his thoughts, and as his lover approached, he noticed the leather was stained.

"What happened to you?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Why are you covered in grass stains?" He tried not to sound alarmed, Joey looked fine, but...something had happened to him.

Joey grinned. "A little hiccup during testing, I ended up in the grass but I'm ok Seto."

The brunette nodded and stepped back into the elevator, the blonde followed and pressed the button for their office. _Their_ office. It still sounded weird to Joey, and even though he was in charge of the team overlooking the D-Wheeler project he was still Seto's assistant; he liked to be near the CEO and he'd be close by in case of a Super Hero emergency.

"So, how was the mee-" the blonde was cut off when the CEO pulled him into a tight embrace. Ever since Odin had almost turned him into Joey Chunks, Seto worried more when it came to his safety; however, he'd never show it in front of his employees, he still had a reputation to keep.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I'm not a little sore." Seto eased his grip and Joey stepped back. "I'm ok, honest; I just said that because I didn't wanna dirty your suit." He smiled, but the brunette noticed the sparkle was still missing from his eyes. He cupped the blonde's cheek gently and pressed their lips together; it wouldn't make everything better, it wouldn't make Red come back, but it was the best he could do.

The doors opened again and the pair entered their office. Sat at the desk, waiting for them, was Mokuba with a grin. He pointed to the Blue-Eyes statue. "It's show time!"


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back! Finally. I hope this chapter will generate some interest as it sets the plot going :P

Thanks for the reviews x

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><p>Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra<p>

Chapter Two

The black wingarang bounced off the light shield and the man, dressed in a black suit with white markings and a light bulb on his chest, laughed. "Do you think you have any hope of defeating me? I'm Doctor Light!"

Lord of the Red arched into a climb, the wings beating quickly, and kept aloft as he assessed the situation; if they could just get one, tiny opening then they'd have the so-called 'villain'; who was really nothing more that an overpowered walking lighthouse.

"Another lunatic." Kaibaman glided to a stop beside him. "I told you this would happen."

"I think this would have happened no matter what we did after Pinkie," Red muttered. "Any ideas?"

"He has a weak spot at the back; if one of us distracts him from the front..."

"I'm on it." Red curled his body and eased himself into a nosedive. Doctor Light fired a light beam at the dark Hero and Red curved into a glide, the tips of his wings just inches from the ground; the light beam followed, destroying parked cars and nearby buildings.

Kaibaman fired his grapple gun at the villain, the cord wrapping around his leg, and pulled. Doctor Light fell forward and found himself suspended in the air and swinging from a lamppost; he growled and aimed a beam at the light Hero when Red wrapped his own grapple cord around the Doctor's middle, trapping his arms.

"All wrapped up and ready for jail." Red grinned.

"Seems so." Kaibaman nodded.

"_Now that that's over and done with,"_ Mokuba began from the safety of the Kaiba Lair. _"You're going to be late for dinner."_

"Right. Later, Doctor Lamp."

"Doctor Light!" He narrowed his eyes at Red.

"Whatever." The pair leapt into the air and left the destruction behind them.

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Yugi sat at the table in the corner, stirring the ice in his coke with a blue straw with one hand while resting his chin in his hand with the other. Despite his friends being almost fifteen minutes late, he smiled, they played an important role in protecting the city – it was their destiny to do so – there was nothing to be angry about.

"Yug'!" Joey's voice broke through the crowd and the King of Games turned his head, the smile spreading. "I'm so sorry we're late!" the blonde huffed and dropped into the booth next to his best friend. "There was a nut job and-"

"I know, it was on TV," he chuckled. "It's not a problem."

Seto dropped into the seat across from them, allowing them the space to catch up while his muscles unravelled and relaxed. "Moto..." he greeted softly, and gestured to the waiter. "One Jack Daniel's and coke and a scotch neat."

The waiter nodded and scurried away, knowing better than to keep a Kaiba waiting. Yugi's brow rose. "Scotch?"

"It helps him unwind after...you know." He looked to the brunette. "Just the one?"

"I'm driving, aren't I?"

Joey grinned. "If you want. Can we order?"

"Hold on, Joey, I'm waiting on one more person." Yugi smiled and took a sip of his drink. "They shouldn't be long."

"Someone else..." The blonde's brow creased. Tristan was busy with the clear up, so it wouldn't be him; could it be Rebecca? No, she was still with Leon...somewhere. Tea?

"Good evening, guys," a voice caused the blonde and brunette to turn their heads. "How's things?"

Joey's jaw slackened. "Duke?"

Seto's brow rose. "This is a surprise, Devlin; I thought you were in Germany?"

Joey moved to sit next to Seto and the CEO draped his arm around his shoulders; Duke took Joey's seat next to Yugi and flipped his hair over his shoulder. "I was. I've come back to sign some papers and tomorrow I'm on a plane to Egypt." His eyes roamed over the blonde. "You look good, Joey. I'm sorry I wasn't at the funeral...I was held up in San Francisco with Pegasus."

Joey smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it, I understand."

Duke placed his hand over Joey's. "I gave you a lot of crap over the years, but you were a great older Brother to her."

The blonde felt his eyes burn with tears. "Thanks Duke..." He felt the other boy squeeze his hand and then the CEO turned his head and crashed their lips together. Seto pulled back with a possessive look in his eyes.

"Gentlemen," the waiter interrupted. "Would you like to order?"

Joey's face turned an interesting shade of red and he roughly pushed Seto's face away from his; public display of affection with the CEO was still something new to Joey as they'd only come out to the public recently. Although it seemed Seto didn't have a problem with it at all. "Sure...what's the special?"

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Pegasus inspired Duke's trip to Egypt. The CEO had discovered Duel Monsters in the ancient lands; these same lands could inspire Duke too, bring in something fresh for a new product – something to knock Kaiba Corp. a bit. Some friendly competition. The dark haired CEO stepped into the quiet museum and slowly made his way around the exhibits, reading each bit of information carefully; it was all very interesting, he thought, but nothing was leaping out at him.

In one of the rooms, he found a small tourist family admiring the old pots. Well, the parents were admiring them; the young children were chasing each other around the room to quell the boredom. Duke smiled at the children and began to scan the artefacts as well, stopping at a row of sceptres; a gold one, darkening with age, caught his attention.

He smiled. _"That little statue on the top looks like the Winged Dragon of Ra,_" he thought, remembering the days of Battle City. He shoved his hands into his pockets, keeping his mind from drifting to the darker memories of Battle City, and sauntered over to the next piece – an old vase telling a story of a God.

The children, being children, didn't realise that the relics were of great value, irreplaceable, and were still running around at full speed; one of them lost their footing and slid across the tile floor into the row of sceptres. They began to topple sideways, one pushing the other in a domino effect, and Duke turned as the last one, the sceptre with the Ra statue, seemed to leap out of its fitting and over the velvet rope separating it from the visitors. He leapt forward, arm extended, and caught it in midflight, holding it as delicately as possible as the Security staff raced into the room. The parents apologised in fractured Arabic to one staff member while the other carefully took the sceptre from Duke.

The CEO quietly left the room and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him; he found a place to sit and leaned back to close his eyes. Deep within his mind, a figured roamed through his memories; when Duke had grasped the sceptre, the figure entered for a quick look and intended to leave when it saw something interesting. It watched the memory of the dinner with Yugi, Joey and Seto, and concentrated on the blonde, looking deep into his honey eyes.

"Ah." It smiled. "It's been many centuries, but I've found you, Kek."


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back! I know some people may ignore these but **LOOK UP HERE A ****MOMENT**. I'd like to take a second to ask you to find a petition, either via Wiki or Google, and sign it! The petition is against the anti-piracy act SOPA, which is so broad it could destroy the net as we know it. It sounds like an over exaggeration, but it's not.

Please, take two minutes to sign it. Thanks.

Now, thanks for all the reviews and such; they make me smile. In this chapter, I had to use Hirutani's English surname, as he doesn't have one in Japanese.

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><p>Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra<p>

Chapter Three

The first thing that greeted Seto the next morning was the bright purple bruise on Joey's shoulder. He sat up, the cover sliding down his chest, and ghosted the tips of his fingers across the mark; the blonde flinched in his sleep and the CEO slid from the bed to get dressed and make breakfast.

Mokuba had beaten him to it.

"Morning, big Brother. Is Joey awake?"

Seto pulled out his phone and began dialling. "Not yet, leave him for five more minutes." After those five minutes, just as Seto finished his phone call, Joey strolled in with a huge yawn.

"Morning, Joey!" Mokuba grinned. "Did you sleep ok?"

"Like a log." The blonde grinned and then looked to Seto. "You didn't wake me."

"I needed to make a phone call," Seto stated as he watched the blonde take his seat. To the untrained eye, Joey looked fine, but Seto could see the sluggish and pained movements in him. "You landed hard yesterday, didn't you?"

"Not really," he assured with a smile, which faltered when he saw the worried look in Seto's eyes. "What's got you all worried?"

"Joey, you're on TV!" Mokuba cut in before Seto could answer and the trio watched the blonde's glide stunt. "That's so cool!"

"Sure is, took lots of practice though." He shoved a few pieces of toast into his mouth and stood. "Aren't we going to be late?"

"You're not." Seto stood with a small smile. "You're taking the day off and going to the spa across town."

Joey's eyes widened slightly and he swallowed. "What? Why?"

"You've been working so hard on the D-Wheeler's, test driving the prototype yourself and then coming out with me to protect the city; you deserve it." He brushed the hair from the blonde's eyes. "Please go."

Joey smiled and threw his arms around Seto's neck. "Thank you, Seto!"

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

_**CEO MAKES HIS CLAIM!**_

_Multi-millionaire, Seto Kaiba, was seen dinning with his former duelling rival, Yugi Moto, and rival CEO, Duke Devlin last night. However, a small gesture from the dice hunk caused Mr. Kaiba to publicly claim what is rightfully his – forcefully kissing his newly revealed partner, Joseph Wheeler, who is a former competitor in Mr. Kaiba's tournaments.  
>The pair...<em>

Tristan sighed and threw the paper onto his desk. Joey and Seto had made front page because of one kiss, while Kaibaman and Lord of the Red's efforts were pushed to page four. It was a good thing, in a way, because it didn't show the forces incompetence when it came to the crazy 'super villains' that seemed to be passing through lately; however...No...there was no downside to it. Page four was the best he could ask for.

He did wish the pair would keep the damage to a minimal though.

There was a light knock on his office door and a petite officer with short brown hair stepped inside. "I have the release report for you, Sir."

"Thanks, Matthews." He smiled at her as he took the file; she was a rookie, fresh from the Academy and a sweet girl.

A blush painted her cheeks. "You can call me Matty, Sir; the others do..."

He nodded. "Thanks, Matty, you can go now." He waited until the door closed before flipping open the cream file; inside contained pages of newly released criminals who were most likely to reoffend. His eyes lazily scanned the pages when a familiar name caught his eye.

_Kane, Hirutani._

"Not good..." Tristan propped his feet up on the desk and stared intently at the name. Hirutani ended up in a youth institution after trying to kill Joey with a chunk of glass and choking Yugi with his puzzle – on top of other numerous crimes; from there, once he was legal, he was moved to a prison, released for a short period and caught again just as Tristan joined the force.

Would he want his revenge? The brunette heard rumours that Hirutani had been looking for Joey when he was first released, but that's all they were – rumours. Tristan glanced at his phone, then back to the name, swiped the receiver up and dialled.

"...Hey, Kaiba, is Joey around?"

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Seto glanced at the clock on the screen and managed a small smile; Joey would have started a full day of massages, mud baths, steam rooms, wraps and manicures, only the best for the one he loved. His phone interrupted his thoughts and he frowned slightly; Laura was on holiday for a few weeks and there was no one screening the calls. He snapped up the receiver.

"Hello?" he ground out, trying to be polite in case it was an investor.

"_Hey, Kaiba, is Joey around?"_

Tristan? "No, I made him take a day off. Is it important?"

"_No – well, yeah. I call him on his cell."_ Seto heard shuffling in the background. _"Ugh, is he at home?"_

Seto's brow rose. "No, he's at the spa across town; is there something I should know?"

The shuffling stopped and Seto heard the receiver switch hands. _"Yeah...I guess you should."_

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Joey had never felt so...light. His day had started with a full body massage and a body wrap; then he'd spent some time in the mud bath, the steam room and was currently having his hands oiled and his nails manicured.

"Such rough hands..." The blonde in a tight, pure white dress had commented while inspecting his rough fingertips and scarred knuckles; he'd spent his early teens in gangs fighting and his late teens in hard labour to afford college – his hands felt like sandpaper sometimes. The busty young girl applied the oils and worked on his nails while he lounged in the chair in a fluffy white dressing gown. "So...what's it like dating Seto Kaiba?"

Joey chuckled for the tenth time; every girl who had tended to his needs had asked about Seto, but didn't push into any personal matters. "No different from dating anyone else, really," he admitted. Sure, Seto was rich and famous, and splashed out on expensive spa days, but under all that he was just a normal guy...Ok, not _normal_, he was a super hero after all, but under that...he was just Seto.

"Lucky. Girls here were devastated when he came out of the closet; but you're such a cutie too, so I guess that makes up for it." She winked with a sly smile. "Better you than some spoilt witch."

Joey's brow rose. "How do you know I'm not spoilt?"

She gave the palm of the hand she was holding a light massage with her thumb. "Your hands. Any girl, or even a man, who makes a good amount of money does not have rough hands – they don't do hard labour so their hands stay pretty smooth." She grinned. "And busy men, the self employed labourers, don't have the time to come here."

The blonde smiled. "I see," he said. "Worked here a long time then?"

She chuckled. "A few years, I did my apprenticeship here." Her brown eyes met his and she was suddenly serious. "I don't mean to pry, it's none of my business, but...one of the girls said you're covered in bruises..."

He shot her his goofy grin. "My old bike gave out on me and I fell from it; plus I'm teaching Mokuba martial arts – kid's got a good kick."

"Ah." She smiled again. "I apologise for prying."

They continued their casual conversation and Joey made his way back to the locker rooms to change; when he opened the locker door, his eyes fell to the small mirror attached to it. For a while, Joey thought he could see little glimpses of Red, but he had to convince himself he was seeing things; he ran his fingers down his reflection and sighed. He changed into a white shirt, leaving the top three buttons undone, and black trousers with well-polished shoes; he checked himself in the mirror once more and made his way out of the building, he shielded his eyes from the sun with a smile, shoved his hands into his pockets and prepared for the walk to Kaiba Corp.

"Let go of me!" He heard a girl cry as he passed the alley between the spa and an office block; his mind leapt into 'Hero Mode' and he turned down the dank alley without a second thought. Around a small corner, next to a row of industrial dumpsters, he found the young blonde, who he'd just seen, and a hulking figure with her tiny wrist clasped in his huge hand.

"HEY!"

Brown eyes shot from the attacker to the saviour. "Mr. Wheeler!"

The figure turned his head fast enough to give him whiplash and two pairs of eyes widened. "Hirutani?" Joey stiffened. It had been a long time since he'd seen the former gang leader.

Hirutani released the girl and turned with a wide grin. "Been a long time, Joey." His eyes roamed over the blonde's slender frame. "Heh, I heard you were with that rich bastard."

Joey clenched his fists. "Step away from the girl, Hirutani, and leave; I won't hurt you if you do that."

"Hurt me?" the gang leader laughed. "I've done time, Joey, I've spent every free moment of my incarceration working out and planning how to _kill_ you. What a twist of fate that I should meet you here on the day of my release."

"You've just been released?" Joey growled and found himself rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "And you're already causing trouble? Couldn't you have gotten something to eat first? See a movie?"

"Very smart, Joey." Hirutani cracked his knuckles. "But once I break your jaw that smart mouth won't be running again."

Joey grinned and took stance. He'd spent weeks with Seto sharpening his moves, he wasn't a street brawler anymore – Hirutani was in for a surprise. "Come at me, bro."


	4. Chapter 4

Back again. Thanks for the reviews!

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><p>Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra<p>

Chapter Four

Joey swerved his body from side to side to avoid the fists aimed at his face with a smirk; he twisted to the side, his back facing the wall of one of the buildings and ducked. Hirutani smashed his fist into the wall and the blonde rammed his elbow into the gang leader's stomach before slipping past and standing between him and the girl; he didn't want the brute to try to use her as a shield and gain the upper hand.

"There's something different about your moves," Hirutani grunted and flexed his damaged hand.

"You sure?" Joey waggled his eyebrows teasingly. "Try again, I won't move around as much this time."

The gang leader growled and lunged at the blonde again, who swayed to one side and brought his knee up into Hirutani's solar plexus. The hulking figure doubled over and Joey followed up with an uppercut to the chin; Hirutani's head snapped back and he stumbled, but before he could fully gather his composure, Joey then smashed his fists into the gang leader's face twice before sweeping the legs of the brute. Hirutani hit the ground hard and groaned.

"Had enough?"

The gang leader swayed as he rose to his feet and raised his hands to continue. Police sirens screamed in the distance and the hulking figure froze. "We'll finish this later, Joey," he grunted, turned and sprinted from the alley. Joey waited for a few moments and the sirens stopped.

"Heh, they're not even coming this way." He turned and his features softened when his eyes fell to the girl, hiding by the dumpers with her knees drawn up to her chest. "It's ok, he's gone now." He strode over and knelt down with a soft smile. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head and brown, teary eyes gazed at him. "You...knew him?"

"I...wasn't always such an angel," he admitted with a lopsided grin and held his arms out wide. "But I have always given the best hugs in the world!"

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Mr. Wheeler..."

"It's fine, and call me Joey...erm...I never did get your name..."

"It's Cassie."

"Pretty." He grinned. "Let's get you inside, Cassie."

The next fifteen minutes that followed were a strange turn of events; finding that he'd stupidly forgot to charge his phone during the night and it had died, Joey left Cassie in the waiting area in search of a pay phone. When he had returned, the poor girl was receiving an earful from a tall man in a black suit.

"I'm so sorry..." she managed through the tears. "It's just..."

"You were gone for fifteen minutes, Cassie, it's unacceptable!" he roared. "The client has filed a complaint and that reflects badly on us."

"I know..." the poor girl sniffed. "But..."

"No excuses, young lady!"

"Is there a problem here?" Joey asked as he approached.

"Nothing that concerns you, Sir." The man turned to him with a tight smile. He had a long face with a pointed chin and thin lips; his brown hair was thinning and slicked back with some gel. His green eyes studied the blonde for a moment and the smile tightened further. "Can I help you with something?"

Honey eyes fell to Cassie. "Yeah, I'm going to take her outside, she looks to be hyperventilating..." He took a step towards her but the man blocked his way.

"I'm sorry, Mr?"

"Wheeler."

The thin smile leapt back to his face. "Mr. Wheeler, but we're having a small meeting here concerning her punctuality."

Joey stared at the man. "You're the manager?"

"The owner," he corrected smugly.

"Ok. She was late for her next appointment because she was attacked in the alley; I've already informed the police and they're coming here."

"Mmhm." The Owner nodded and his eyes flicked to one of the other girls as the door beside them opened. "And what was she doing in the alley?"

The girl's eyes widened and she quickly approached the Owner. "Ugh, boss..."

"Not now, Jennifer. Mr. Wheeler, what was she doing in the alley?"

"Boss..."

"Jennifer..." he ground out. "Not now."

She frowned, brushed her dark hair behind her ear and pulled him down to her level so she could whisper in his ear. The Owner's eyes grew wide and he gave her a questioning look. "Really?"

"Do you not read the papers?"

He paled. "Oh dear..."

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

What were the odds? Seto wondered as the limo pulled up to the spa. What were the odds of Joey and Hirutani bumping into each other on the day of the thug's release?

Quite high, apparently.

He found himself marching through the main entrance and into the waiting area, where a large group of officers were gathered. Joey sat with a blonde girl; he was perched on the arm of the chair while she leaned against him as she answered the female officer's questions. Joey, as though sensing someone watching him, lifted his head and smiled.

Seto let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. Joey had called from the spa to tell him what had happened, but only briefly, and asked him to call Tristan; he had no idea what state the blonde was in. He slowly made his way over and sat in the free chair, ignoring the look he was given by the officer; when she left, he turned to Joey. "What happened?"

"I caught him giving Cassie here some trouble and saw him off. I'm ok." He smiled.

"Are you sure? Your knuckles..." He gently clasped one of the blonde's hands and inspected the bloody knuckles.

"I'm all tense again..." the blonde whined. "And after such a nice, relaxing day."

The Owner must have the ears of a Terrier; he came scurrying over at that moment with a smile plastered onto his face. "Mr. Wheeler, how about a complementary massage as a token of our appreciation?"

Honey eyes narrowed. "Nah, I think I'll pass." He placed his hand on Cassie's head and smiled at her. "Want a lift home? Seto, no doubt, brought the limo."

She chuckled and shook her head. "I live with Jenny and she drives. Thank you anyway."

"Ok. If you need me, I'm always at Kaiba Corp." He embraced her again and made his way to the limo with Seto; once there, he slouched in the seats and sighed.

"What was that about?" Seto asked. "With the Owner."

Joey frowned and told Seto what happened after the attack. "Then the girl, Jenny, tells him I'm dating you; after that he was all sweet with me and Cassie. Where's Mokuba?"

"He covered a meeting for me. She looks alike a sweet girl."

"Yeah, she did my hands and a manicure..." he looked at his cracked knuckles. "That seems like a wasted effort on her part now." He frowned and leant against Seto. "She reminds me of Serenity..."

The CEO draped an arm across the blonde's shoulders. "How so?"

"Big eyes, sweet smile and a bubbly, caring personality," he sighed. "Seto, can I keep her?"

He chuckled. "She's not a pet, Joey." He kissed the blonde locks. "We can keep an eye on her though, at least until Hirutani is back behind bars."

Joey sat straight again. "Do you mind doing the patrol on your own tonight? I'm going to go to his old haunts and track the bastard down."

"As youself?"

"No." He smirked. "As Red."


	5. Chapter 5

I haven't forgotten about this; I've been busy with courses and other projects.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

><p>Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra<p>

Chapter Five

A happy bunny, Joey was not. He'd spent the majority of the night searching the city for Hirutani; in fact, he checked some places two or three times and he couldn't fathom how one person could be so difficult to find when they had nowhere to go.

"_Maybe Tristan knows something..."_ he wondered, blocking out the rabble from the design team. _"He called Seto to warn me...he must know something."_ The CEO had explained that Tristan had phoned him earlier in the day, and that he had left the blonde a message warning him to be careful.

He should check his messages more often, but he wasn't used to having a cell phone.

"Hey, Joe." Finger snapped in front of him and the honey eyes focused again. "You with me?"

Joey shifted his eyes from the hand in front of him to the tall brown haired, blue-eyed figure next to him. He smiled. "Sorry Chris."

He chuckled. "It's alright. What has you thinking so hard?"

The blonde rubbed his temples and yawned. "You didn't hear about my daring rescue yesterday?"

"Word is getting around." Chris grinned. "Had enough of Kaiba yet?"

"Keep dreaming, buddy." Joey stuck his tongue out. "Anyway, the guy I floored was a...old acquaintance from Middle School."

"I see..." Chris' brow furrowed and another grin spread onto his face. "Hey, this new bar opens tonight, want to go?" Joey raised a brow at him. "Just as friends! Seriously."

"Loved to, but..." He had patrol with Seto. How had they managed this double life with such seamless effort for so long? How were they not crashing out at their desks? How had Joey not fallen asleep on his bike? "I'm helping Seto with a ton of paperwork."

Chris' brow rose. "Doesn't Mokuba do that?"

"Yeah." The blonde scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh. "I'm filing it."

"You work too hard." The taller of the two smiled. "Next time, maybe? If the place is any good."

Somehow, Joey managed a genuine smile. "Yeah, maybe."

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

The bike weaved effortlessly through the traffic and the engine purred. Joey had noticed an odd sound when he had taken it for a test drive before lunch – probably caused by the accident – but the technicians were quick to fix it. This test drive was actually a quick patrol of the city; he wanted to test the holographs realism to scare muggers and thieves away; however, if he should happen to spot Hirutani in the process, there was nothing to stop him finishing what he started the day before.

The city was quiet though; he and Seto were a strong presence and petty criminals rarely bothered to cause trouble anymore – not unless they were really desperate – and Hirutani seemed avid to stay hidden. Up ahead, Joey spotted a familiar vehicle around the corner at the lights, just as his lane was gearing to move again; he needed the attention of the driver, but he was stuck behind a huge 4x4.

What better time to test the holograms.

The duel disk functioned as long as the bike was running; the duel mode allowed two riders to battle it out safely. Joey pulled a monster from his deck and slapped it to the disk. With a flicker, Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared with a roar.

"Stop that car, buddy," Joey ordered and the Dragon flew ahead of the bike and turned to hover in front of the vehicle, which had to skid to a stop. Tristan stepped out and Joey waved as he approached, flicking the front of the visor up. "Need to talk to you."

"Are you _crazy_? You could've caused an accident!" Tristan roared.

"Someone's cranky," the blonde noted.

"You would be too in my line of work; trust me on that," he growled. "What is it?"

"Where's Hirutani hiding?"

Tristan ran a hand over his tired eyes. "What makes you think I'd know?"

"C'mon Tristan, you have to know!"

A honk behind them startled the pair.

"HOLD YOUR HORSES!" the brunette sighed. "I don't, but if I get a clue you'll be the first to know. Now get out of here; talking to you is bad for my image."

"One more thing?"

Tristan's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Can Seto and I have a Batman type signal? Y'know...Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes overlapping?" He curled his hands into claws and crossed his wrists. "Like this?"

Tristan knew he was grinning under the helmet. "Yeah, because the Mayor will give me a budget for that. Get out of here!"

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Chris wished Joey was with him as he stood in line for the club; not because he had a crush on him, but because he hadn't seen much of the blonde since Kaiba Corp. began the D-Wheeler project. The pair were good friends, it didn't seem to bother his boss either, and he wished Joey didn't work so hard.

"Maybe next time," he hoped, but didn't see it happening. The bouncer on the door stamped his hand and let him in; the walls shook in time with the music and bodies filled the main bar area. Chris eased his way between them and leaned casually against the bar to order a drink; he tapped his foot to the beat of a song and looked around as he waited when someone brushed up against him. When he turned his head, his blue eyes met green.

"My apologies." He smiled. "It's crowded in here."

"It's alright." Chris grinned and watched the barman set his drink down. "Drink?"

"No thank you."

The brunette shrugged and paid for his drink while studying the newcomer out of the corner of his eye in the dim light; he had black hair tied into a ponytail and something hanging from one ear. Chris took a quick swig of his drink and held out his hand. "I'm Chris."

A slender hand entered his and grasped it firmly. "Duke."

The bar lights brightened the room for a split second and blue eyes widened. "Duke Devlin? Holy crap, my boss will kill me for saying this...but...I loved Dungeon Dice Monsters!" He felt his cheeks redden. "I couldn't get the hang of Duel Monsters, but...wow; I can't believe I'm talking to you." He took another long swig of his drink.

"Who is your boss?"

"Seto Kaiba," he blurted out. "You were in the paper yesterday with him, you two had dinner and-"

Duke ran his fingers through Chris' hair. "So, you know Joey?"

Chris swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, he's my friend. I tried to get him here tonight but...but he's busy with company stuff," he babbled.

Duke's arm snaked around his neck and he pressed his body against the brunette's. "That's a shame," he said and then brought his lips close to Chris' ear. "There are some private rooms in the back." He drew back and winked.

The brunette's head suddenly felt a little hazy, which was strange because his drink wasn't very strong, and, somehow, he found himself nodding and being led by the hand through the crowds. Duke approached a row of doors and tried each one until it opened to a brightly lit space with a large booth next to a round table.

"This will do." He smiled seductively at the brunette and tugged him inside; he pressed him against the door and locked it with one swift movement of his slender fingers. "Nowhere to run now."

"I...I um..." Chris flushed.

Duke chuckled and strolled over to the booth with a sway in his hips; Chris watched him for a second and slowly followed, watching as the dark haired boy sat on the edge of the booth with a smirk. The brunette stood in front of him, wondering if he should make the first move when Duke grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. Chris had to brace himself on the booth and table but soon eased Duke back to lie on the seats; his head felt fuzzy again and he tried to figure out what was causing it when Duke brushed their tongues together and distracted him.

Duke slowly pulled back from the kiss and a gold mist passed between their lips; he lay limp across the seat and Chris hung his head for a moment, one knee resting on the edge of the seat. He lifted his head and smiled.

"That was easier than I thought." He looked down at the sleeping Duke and ran a thumb across his cheek. "You were a useful host; I shall reward you by not killing you." He stood straight and made his way to the door, unlocked it and closed it behind him as he left.


	6. Apologies

I feel really bad.

I keep getting reviews and PM's on odd occasions asking where the next part is, or when will I be updating; the truth is...I'm not sure. I started a project a while ago with a friend and we're trying to set up a business; the manga we're doing is taking up all my time because I'm either scripting chapters, writing the mini novel (or proof reading it) and I'm currently giving the rough manga pages a do over with a new drawing programme.

I want to be a published author, fan fiction is great, but I love working with my own characters.

It was so much fun writing Ally of Justice Kaibaman, and I really hoped the second will follow suit with such fluidity; unfortunately, I began to struggle. I still have drafts of a few chapters, considering the point I left this in I will post them soon - although, from what I can remember, the last draft chapter probably won't be any better for you all.

Just so you know, I keep everything, I horde all your faves, likes, follows, reviews and PM's because I love them; it gives me a real confidence boost to know I've really improved (cause my old stuff is terrible!) and the courage to get my own stuff published.

Anyway. I am **BEYOND **sorry for not updating (and for making you think this is an update), you've all been so great to me and I hope to actually come back to this some day :)


	7. Chapter 6

My last batch of updates, guys. Here we go :)

* * *

><p>Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra<p>

Chapter Six

"_Just another hour, just another hour,_" Tristan mentally chanted and tapped his desk with his forehead. It was shifts, like the one he was almost through with, that made him hate being a cop; but that's what cut-backs did to a station. "Maybe I could guilt trip Kaiba into giving us some cash," he muttered and turned his head to rest his cheek against the wood.

"You can't go through here!" He heard an officer yell.

"I need to talk to him, it's important!"

Tristan lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at the door. "Duke?"

"That's it, you're in trouble!"

"Ow-ow! My arm doesn't bend that way!"

Tristan stood and threw the door open, startling the officer and Duke; the Dice Duellist was on one knee, clothes wrinkled and hair dishevelled, while the officer had his arms behind his back. Tristan's eyes narrowed and the officer released the slender arms. "Office, Duke." Duke shot to his feet and approached while Tristan kept his eyes on the officer. "We'll talk about this later, back to work!"

"Yes Commissioner!"

"I'm sorry," Duke muttered as Tristan guided him inside. "I didn't mean to cause a fuss but I didn't know where else to go."

"It's fine; we're friends after all. Take a seat. How was Egypt?"

Duke dropped into the wooden chair. "That's why I'm here. I don't remember coming back."

Tristan paused halfway into his own seat then slowly eased himself into the worn leather. "Ok." He rubbed his chin, the stubble scratching his fingers. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Going to the museum. That's it. I don't remember coming out, catching my plane, or going to some night club."

Tristan leaned over the desk. "Night club?"

Duke showed him the neon green, glow in the dark stamp on his hand. "The staff woke me up an hour ago, as they were closing, I honestly don't remember a thing." He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed his elbow, the one the officer had twisted. "I'm sorry, this is stupid. I'll go."

"No, it's ok; but we should go." He stood and Duke followed.

"Where?"

"To see Joey."

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Seto – I – Run – A – Company – Kaiba had always worked weekends, that is...until he started dating Joey – I – Like – To – Sleep – In – On – Weekends – You – Rich – Bastard –Wheeler; so it was no surprise to Tristan when Mokuba told him they were still asleep at eight in the morning. The teen opened the door with a wide grin and invited them inside the mansion.

"Would you like something to drink? Joey'll be down in a second."

"Sure, black coffee for me, kid. Duke?"

"No, I'm good, thanks." He looked to Tristan. The brunette still hadn't told him why they were visiting Joey of all people about his situation.

"When did you start drinking black coffee?" Joey asked from the stairs, rubbing his eyes with one hand and untwisted his boxers with the other.

"Since my budget has been cut and I'm working seventy-two hour shifts," he stated. "Put a shirt on, you have guests."

Joey looked to Duke and lost his footing on the stairs; he rolled down and landed on his back with his feet sprawled on the steps. "Ow..."

"Are you all right?" Duke ran over to help him up and noticed the scars on his body and the burn mark on his shoulder. "Joey?"

A black dressing gown floated down the stairs and covered the blonde. "Slip again, puppy?"

Joey pulled the gown from over his face and snarled. "This new carpet is out to get me!"

Seto chuckled and watched Duke help Joey into a sitting position. "To what do we owe the pleasure so early on a Saturday?"

"Morning, Kaiba," Duke greeted. "Tristan suggested we talk to Joey but he didn't explain why."

Joey stood and pulled the dressing gown on. "Oh?"

"It'll make sense in a moment. Can we sit somewhere to talk?"

Seto gestured to the living room while kissing Joey's cheek. "Through there." He led the way and sat in the leather chair, pulling Joey into his lap too; Mokuba followed seconds later and placed a tray on the table.

"I'll leave you to it, big Brother."

"Thank you, Mokuba." The CEO watched his Brother leave.

"So, Duke, how was Egypt?" Joey asked.

"That's why we're here." Tristan took a sip of his drink. "Tell them what you told me."

"I don't know how this..." he trailed off when the taller brunette looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Ok. You guys know I went to Egypt the other day, right? Well...when I woke up this morning I was in a private room of a club across town. I...I don't know how I got there."

Joey and Seto swapped glances. The blonde scratched behind his ear. "What do you remember?"

"I remember dinner, catching my flight, checking into my hotel and going to the museum; then...nothing between the museum and waking up in the club."

"Well?" Tristan's brow rose.

Joey shook his head. "Doesn't make sense."

"How so?"

Honey eyes met brown. "Why a club? Red used to wait until he got home before passing out, he knew his limits."

"Maybe this one isn't as strong as Red?"

"Who the hell is Red!?" Duke snapped, not wanting to be kept out of the loop any longer. "What happened to me!?"

"Red...Red is..." Joey paused to think. "We told you about the Capsule World."

Duke nodded. "What's that got to do with it?"

"I was possessed by the Blade of Chaos during one of the trials; Yugi saved me, but a part of the spirit trapped inside stayed with me. Eventually, he became stronger and took over my body; I used to black out for a while and then wake up to havoc."

"You think the same thing has happened to me?" Joey nodded. "Well, what happened with you and Red?"

Honey eyes softened and the blonde leaned his head back on Seto's shoulder. "He's gone."

"You sound like you miss him," Tristan grunted and Joey narrowed his eyes at the challenge.

"What if I do?"

"Don't," Seto warned before Tristan opened his mouth.

"You can't be ok with that! He gutted you – he impaled you on a kid's playground equipment!"

Green eyes widened and Duke slapped a hand to his forehead. "Duh. It's so obvious."

Seto smirked. "Imagine how that idiot feels; I was under his nose the whole time – he even suspected me at one point." He watched Tristan's cheeks change colour and ran a hand through Joey's blonde locks. "Look, Red may have been...Red, but we don't understand what he and Joey had – the connection they made. He was there for Joey when no one else was and took advantage of that, but at the same time..."

"I was comforted by it," Joey muttered. "He told me he couldn't leave and..." He managed a smile. "He wasn't all bad, really." He saw their guilty faces and grinned. "I'm not mad at you guys, honest. Shit happens. Crazy shit, but it happens."

"So...there's...something inside me?"

"I'm not sure..." Joey admitted. "And without Red I'm not sure how I can help."

Duke managed a smile. "Thanks anyway, Joey. I guess I'll head home and hope for the best."

"You can stay with me," Tristan offered and all eyes set on him.

"You sure, buddy? It could be just as dangerous..."

The brunette shrugged and stood. "I think I can handle it and I won't take no for an answer." He grinned.

Duke stared at him and nodded. "Ok. If you insist."


	8. Chapter 7

Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra

Chapter Seven

Joey splashed his face and ran his hands across his eyes and cheeks, honey orbs meeting his reflection in the mirror; he continued to stare and thought his saw a quick flash of red. Blink and you'd miss it.

"Red?" He placed his hand on the glass. "Red, if you're there...Shit. You feed off pain – I'm in pain!" The hand curled against the glass into a fist, he squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head. "Where the hell are you?" He raised his fist, intending to slam it into to mirror, but another hand grasped it; a free arm slid around his stomach and his back met a firm torso.

"Don't hurt yourself," Seto whispered in his ear.

Joey opened his eyes and watched Seto in the reflection as he gently rubbed his wrist with his thumb. "I..." he trailed off.

Seto kissed his shoulder. "I miss you."

The blonde shot him a confused look. He hadn't been anywhere – unless he meant he was spending too much time on the D-Wheeler project. "Miss me?"

"That sparkle in your eye," the CEO explained. "That playful tone in your voice; it's gone. I miss it."

Joey sighed. "I'm sorry...it's..." The brunette let his arm fall to his side and linked their fingers. "He...I..."

"I'm not going to say I understand – because I don't, however...could you _try_ to be you again? The idiot mutt I fell for." He paused and met Joey's gaze in the mirror. "Could you try to explain it to me so I can understand?"

The blonde turned and leant back against the sink. "Apart from Mokuba and Tristan, I was alone, and when Serenity died it felt like the world was crumbling around me; then he appeared, he promised me he could never leave." He gaze fell to the tile floor. "I should hate him, he almost killed you – he could have killed Mokuba – but...he was right, part of me had become weak and he made me stronger."

"I thought we agreed duelling hadn't weakened you?"

"It didn't, but back in the day I wouldn't have wallowed in self pity; I didn't care if I had friends. Duelling didn't make me weak but..." He rubbed his face with his hands again. "I think I'm contradicting myself..."

Seto smirked. "That's a big word for you."

Honey eyes hardened and met blue. "Are you taking this seriously?"

"Yes." He kissed his forehead. "When you were fighting Odin, there was a part of you I'd never seen before; for a moment I wasn't sure if it was you or Red. I believe that's the strength you're talking about? No longer depending on someone – or something – else's strength, just your own?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, that's it." He wrapped his arms around Seto. "Thanks, I'm glad you understand; but when he left...he left a hole...I miss him, he wasn't all bad."

The CEO nodded. There had been a few, short moments when he and Red managed to get along; he believed the being was trying to act tough, the way Joey used to be in his gang days.

"Um..." a voice shyly interrupted and the pair looked to Mokuba in the doorway. "I hate to break this up but...there's another loony on the loose."

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

"Home sweet home!" Tristan announced as he opened his apartment door. "Until I get the spare room sorted, you can have my bed."

"Are you sure you should be doing this," asked Duke as he lugged his suitcase in behind him. "You heard what Joey said..."

"I'm just following by their example; Kaiba took in Joey when Red was still a bother, so I'll do the same for you." He grinned. "Now, I'm going to shower and shave. Make yourself at home."

Duke watched the tall brunette enter the bathroom and looked around the room. The walls were mostly bare, there was two pictures above the TV and Duke stepped closer to study them; one was from Tristan's academy days and the other was of him with Joey, Yugi and Tea, taken sometime during high school, he guessed. They were in Yugi's room, grinning from ear to ear and flashing the victory signs. He smiled and stepped back. The floors were bare wood with a single old rug under the coffee table by a brown leather couch; he picked up the remote, sat in the black fabric armchair and turned the TV on.

"_We're live in the centre of Domino, where the villain known as 'Mad Mod' is terrorising the citizens with his 'Mod Bots',"_ the female reporter stated as the camera panned to an army of robots designed like Coldstream Guards you would see outside of Buckingham Palace. Duke twisted in the chair to look at the bathroom door, wondering if he should tell Tristan.

"'_Ello Duckies."_ Mod stuck his face into the camera lens. _"Moddie here. I hope you're ready for a revolution!"_

As Mod took a step back, Duke saw something white flash past in the background and settled into the chair. "I hope you're ready for an ass whopping." He smirked. He hadn't really paid much attention to Kaibaman and Red before, but now he knew their true identities, he wanted to see them in action. An explosion off camera ruffled Mod's red hair and blew soot onto his Union Jack suit.

The camera panned to the battle and Mod rushed towards the group of robots. Kaibaman and Red were spinning and twirling through the air to avoid the robotic fists flying at them, which reminded Duke of the time in Noah's virtual world. He shuddered slightly at the memory but kept his eyes fixed to the screen. Red dropped something in the middle of the army and another explosion followed, knocking the group backwards, some of them losing an arm or a leg.

"_You little snot! Have some of this!"_ Mod seemed to press something on his cane and one of the fallen robots sat up and fired a net from its fist; the net flew across the sky and over Red then the heavy weights pulled him to the ground. Mod approached and began to beat him with the cane.

"Are you watching a movie?" Tristan asked when the door opened and paused to watch. Duke looked at him over the back of the chair.

"Is there anything you can do?"

Tristan slowly shook his head and sat himself on the chair arm. "The others will be keeping the citizens as safe as possible, but they're the only ones who can really do anything. I learnt that not too long ago."

Duke turned his head back to the screen just as a blue object cut Red free; Mod turned and ran but didn't get very far. Red threw two sphere's tied together at the villain, they caught his legs and Mod fell to the ground; Kaibaman landed next to him, snatched the cane from his hands and snapped it two. The robots stopped moving and those in mid stride fell over, creating a domino effect until all of them were lying in the road.

Something flashed in front of the dice duellist's eyes, but it disappeared before his mind could hold onto it. He shook his head.

"You alright?"

Green met brown and Duke nodded. "Yeah...I thought something was coming back to me then."

Tristan placed his hand on Duke's shoulder. "Don't dwell on it. It'll come back to you." He stood with a sigh. "Now, I have to go down and sort out the clean up...will you be ok for a few hours?"

Duke tried to keep the worry from his voice. "Hours?"

The brunette titled his head back to scratch the rash forming under his jaw line. "If I bring the paper work back with me, it'll be less – but I'll be as quick as I can."

Duke twirled a strand of hair around his finger. "Of course I'll be ok for a few hours, I mean, I'm not a child – I don't need a babysitter."

Tristan grinned, seeing that Duke was trying to act tough so he wouldn't worry. "I'll be an hour and a half – two hours at the most."


	9. Chapter 8

Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra

Chapter 8

It turned out that even bad guys took Sunday's off, leaving the super duo to catch up on more...personal matters; however, first thing Monday morning was business as usual. After dealing with the most difficult villain they had come across so far – Mumbo, who turned Kaibaman into a duck – the pair strolled into Kaiba Corp. Well...Joey strolled, Seto stormed through the lobby with a look that could kill.

"Cheer up." Joey grinned once they were in the elevator. "You turned back as soon as I knocked him out." He had to suppress the laugh building up in his chest. Seto's pride had taken a beating and there was nothing the CEO could do about it – especially where journalists were concerned.

The brunette growled and the blonde wrapped his arms around him. "I'm not in the mood, Joey..."

Honey eyes twinkled. "You made a very cute duck."

Despite himself, Seto smiled. Joey seemed to be back to his old self. "I hope he turns you into a puppy next time." He leaned down to capture the blonde's lips.

"EEP! I'm sorry!"

Seto lifted his head and Joey turned in the brunette's free arm; they hadn't noticed the elevator stop and the doors open. Their eyes set on a blonde girl with her eyes covered by her hands; she wore a pair of loose blue jeans and a red shirt with a Petite Dragon printed on the bottom corner.

Joey grabbed the door before it closed. "Cassie?"

The girl nodded and parted her fingers shyly. "I was just about to leave..."

The pair stepped out and Cassie lowered her hands, revealing puffy eyes. "Have you been crying? Why aren't you at work?" the blonde questioned and fresh tears formed.

"I went in with Jenny and the boss told me I didn't work there anymore; he said I was on a probation period after signing my new contract last month and...it was in his right to fire me." She sobbed and Joey led her to the seats outside the office, grabbing a box of tissues from Laura's desk.

"Why did you sign a new contract?"

"I finished my apprenticeship and it was company policy to be on a ninety day probation period since I was moving onto a full wage. I went home, changed and...I came here, I'm sorry for being a bother."

Joey wrapped her arms around her and his brow furrowed; he looked to Seto, who shrugged. "Every company is different; but if she's on probation, then yes, he can fire her." The CEO should know, he'd done it enough times.

If Joey had dog-ears, they would have perked up at that moment. "She can work here!"

"I can?"

"She can?" Seto echoed, watching Joey nod.

"She can cover for Laura!" The smile suddenly dropped. "But will that be enough time for Cassie to find another job..."

Seto sighed, trying not to appear annoyed by the idea because, on some level, Laura knew his dirty little super hero secret; how long before Cassie figured it out? He didn't meet Joey's eyes as he mulled it all over. "Laura keeps pestering me for an assistant since you started the D-Wheeler project..."

Joey threw himself at the brunette. "Thank you, Seto!"

Blue eyes looked down at the small girl. "Thank you, Mr. Kaiba." She smiled.

He nodded and gently pushed Joey back as he studied her. "Joey will train you today and show you around; tomorrow..." He studied her again. "Wear something more formal."

"Yes, Sir!" She grinned and Joey ushered her to Laura's desk. The brunette shook his head; the blonde had more power over him than he knew, and he was going to regret this. He knew it.

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

"This is Marketing!" Joey announced with a flourish. "You'll come down here a lot, usually to use the copier," he joked and waved at Angie, who still scowled at him. "Don't mind her."

"Joe! What brings you down here?" Chris grinned as he stepped out of his office. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Cassie; she's covering for Laura and will be her new assistant. Cass this is Chris, he's head of Marketing. Hey, how was the club?"

"Must have been awesome cause I don't remember getting home!" he laughed. "Slept through the whole of Saturday too!"

Joey's eyes widened. "How much did you drink?"

The brunette pursed his lips. "I honestly don't know – maybe someone spiked my first one..." Joey opened his mouth to lecture him when his cell rang; Chris chuckled and looked to Cassie. "Working for those two, huh? If you need a hand, call me."

Cassie blushed. "I will."

"HOW DID YOU MANAGE THAT!?" Joey yelled and the whole office stopped to stare at him. "I..ugh...I'll be right there!" He snapped his phone shut and gave Cassie and apologetic look. "I have to run down to the lab, you know your way back, right?"

"I'll finish the tour for you," Chris offered and Joey grinned.

"Thanks, they blew my engine..." He sighed, kissed the top of Cassie's head and rushed to the elevator. The girl's blush deepened and watched him enter the elevator.

"He didn't mean anything by it," the brunette assured. "Just being friendly."

"Oh." She relaxed. "Alright then."

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

"So, that's where he works." Hirutani grinned. "And the girl too?" He'd been watching the building for most of the morning; he saw the girl arrive, then, half an hour later, Joey and his new man. The blonde then left with the girl around lunch and were returning together too. Yes, she worked there now – no doubt protected by the former gang member. Joey stopped, as though sensing someone watching him, and Hirutani moved with the crowd; he disappeared around the corner and was pulled suddenly into an alley. He curled his hand into a fist when a tall brunette raised his hands in surrender.

"No need for brutality, I just wanted to talk."

"Who the hell are you?" Hirutani studied him; the brown hair fell into blue eyes with a gold ring around the pupil.

He smiled. "Chris Hayden. I see you've taken a liking to the blonde."

Dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You've been watching me?"

Chris stepped out of the alley and pointed to Kaiba Corp. "I could see you from the office; do you want the blonde?"

Hirutani grinned and cracked his knuckles. "To kill."

The brunette chuckled darkly and stepped up to the former gang leader. "Then we share a common goal."

"What have you got against him?" Hirutani questioned with increasing suspicion.

"It's not with him, per say, but when I get what I want from him he is then yours. Deal?"

The former gang leader mulled this over for a few seconds. "Deal. What's the plan?"

"There's a bar across town, it opened recently." Chris smirked. "Meet me there tonight; we'll discuss the details." He spun on the ball of his foot and made his way into Kaiba Corp; he took the elevator back to Marketing and stepped into his office without a word to anyone. With the door closed, he took his place at his desk and picked up a plastic fork; the gold around his pupil receded and pure blue blinked.

Chris looked down at his fruit salad and chuckled to himself. "I need to stop day dreaming so much."


	10. Chapter 9

Ally of Justice Kaibaman 2: Red vs Ra

Chapter 9

Tristan had an unusual start to the morning too. He stirred as the morning light peeked through the curtains and onto his eyelids; he buried his face into the crook of his elbow and tried to fall back asleep when the hair of the back of his neck stood on end. He slid his hand under his pillow and clasped the butt on his handgun, whipping it out and pointing it at Duke.

"YIKES!" the dice duellist shrieked. "The hell do you think you're doing, Tristan?"

"You scared the shit out of me!" he sighed and relaxed, gently laying the weapon on the floor. "I think I need a change of underwear now."

"_You_ need a change of underwear!?" Duke let out a breath.

"What were you doing just standing there anyway?"

"I...urm..." He scratched the back of his head. What had he wanted? "I...can't remember; but do you have an internet connection here?"

"Yeah, the router is in the spare room; the codes are on the side of it." Tristan gestured to the room and swung his legs off the couch. "Breakfast?"

"Sure," Duke agreed as he made his way to the room. "Coffee too, please."

Ten minutes later, Tristan placed a plate of bacon, eggs and toast next to Duke's laptop. "All set up?"

"Yup, thanks..." He took a sip of his coffee and concentrated on the screen.

Tristan took a bite of his own toast. "New game?"

"No, I remember going to the museum so I thought I could retrace my steps by looking at some of the exhibits online."

The brunette rounded the counter to look. "Is it working?"

"Not yet – no, wait..." Duke paused and stared a picture of a row of sceptres.

"That one on the end looks like the Winged Dragon of Ra," Tristan noted and Duke nodded, clicking the interactive image for more information.

"The Apostle of Ra."

"What's an Apostle?"

Duke leaned back on the stool. "A disciple. It says here the sceptre belonged to him over two centuries ago, around the time of the nameless Pharaoh."

"Atem? Hey, maybe Yugi knows something about it?"

Duke looked to the taller brunette. "Either him or Gramps; he might know who found the sceptre in the first place."

Tristan grinned. "It's my day off – let's go see them!"

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

Mokuba yawned and watched the numbers above the elevator door. It had been a long morning of business meetings with various investors and he'd missed Seto and Joey in action because of it! He pouted and watched the doors open, planning to get every little detail from the super hero duo; he passed Laura's desk and stopped, noticing a blonde girl sat there. Their eyes met and she smiled.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kaiba." She beamed and returned to her work.

The young CEO felt his face redden. "H-Hi..." He continued to the office, his eyes never leaving her, and walked into the door. Before the girl could look up, he had whipped it open and slipped inside.

"Hey squirt!" Joey greeted with a grin as the young Kaiba eased the door closed.

"What was that bang?" Seto asked without looking up from the computer.

"N-Nothing..." Mokuba shook his head, willing the red to fade from his cheeks. "Who's that outside?"

"That's Cassie, the girl from the other day – I told you, right?"

"The beautician!?" Wide eyes looked back to the door. "What is she doing here?"

"Long story," Seto muttered. "But with Joey working downstairs a lot, she'll be Laura's assistant."

"What!?"

Seto finally looked up from the computer. "Is that a problem?"

"N-no, but is she even qualified? Has she done this kind of work before?"

One blonde and one brown eyebrow rose. "It was my idea," Joey admitted. "Plus with Hirutani still wandering around somewhere, I think she'll be safe here." He tilted his head to the side. "Are you feeling ok, Moke?

"Yeah, of course – why wouldn't I be?"

The blonde's lips pulled into a thin smile and a wicked sparkle flickered in his eyes. He stood, slowly approached the young CEO and threw an arm over his shoulders. "Pretty, isn't she?"

Pale cheeks reddened again. "I guess so, didn't notice..."

The blonde was almost nose to nose with him. "Your cheeks say differently."

"Shut up!" Mokuba lightly shoved him away. "I just met her – we barely said two words to each other!"

"She's an employee, Joey," Seto reminded him. "As her boss, Mokuba couldn't legally date her anyway."

Joey looked to the brunette and scowled. "Technically, I was working for you before we started dating."

The rhythm of the typing seemed to skip a beat for a split second. "That was a completely different circumstance."

Joey grinned at his little victory and patted Mokuba on the back. "Don't worry too much about it, ok?"

Mokuba nodded. "Is Duke alright?"

"I haven't called Tristan yet...I probably should..." He made long strides to the desk and began dialling.

"You said it yourself, it doesn't seem right," Seto pointed out.

Joey nodded, resting the receiver between his ear and shoulder. "But you also made the point about it not being as strong; there could be some merit to that – oh, hey Tristan, it's Joey!"

-Spinning Mokuba Head Scene Change!-

"I'm afraid that particular item is new to me," Solomon said while rubbing his chin. "What's so important about it?"

Duke sighed. "I was just telling Yugi that my little trip ended a bit strange; while trying to retrace my steps I came across this...it...feels familiar somehow."

"I see. I'm sorry I can't be more help."

"I could contact Ishizu for you," Yugi suggested. "She probably knows the Curator."

Duke nodded. "I think that might help. Thanks." He looked to Tristan as a tune played. "Is that yours?"

"Yeah." Tristan pulled his cell out. "Hello?"

"_Oh, hey Tristan, it's Joey!"_

"Hey man, what's up?"

"_Just checking in. How's Duke doing?"_

The brunette grinned at the dice duellist. "Good, I think we found something and was just asking Gramps about it – he's stumped so Yug's gonna call Ishizu."

"_Why her? Is it something from the museum?"_

"Yeah, The Apostle of Ra; it's some kind of staff thing."

"_The Apostle of Ra, huh? Hey, Seto, could you-" _He heard the blonde chuckle. _"Beat me to it. He's looking it up. Hey, is that the Winged Dragon of Ra?"_

"Looks like it," Tristan agreed, remembering the picture.

"_Hey, Seto...you ok? Seto!" _ Tristan tensed and Duke edged nearer to hear what was going on.

"_I'm ok..." _they heard the CEO say.

"_Geez, don't scare me like that. I gotta go Tris', keep me updated."_

"Will do." The brunette ended the call and stared at his cell. "Well, that was weird."

* * *

><p>I cannot thank you guys enough for the support, and I apologise again for failing to finish this T.T<p>

Well, for those interested, the Manga is currently available on smack jeeves and comic fury; it's called **To Stop and Empire **and I just recently published the mini novel/e-book on lulu dot com under the same title, it covers the prologue of the Manga and carries on from there.

The Manga is very rushed; my artist/business partner/best friend had to redo them because the originals were misplaced - but I've seen some of the pages for the next chapter and it looks so much better, much more like his work :)

Please do leave comments and reviews; I always appreciate them.


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